More Americans than ever are refusing to associate themselves with either of the country’s equally worthless political parties, according to two new polls.
The first poll, conducted last week by the Washington Post, shows a whopping 42% of the country declaring its political independence – literally. By contrast, only 33% of the poll’s respondents called themselves “Democrats,” and only 20% identified themselves as Republicans.
Meanwhile, in a new Pew Center poll, 36% of respondents are calling themselves “independents,” compared to 35% claiming the Democratic label and 23% claiming the GOP. The Pew Center – which has been tracking partisan affiliation among voters for decades – has a chart accompanying its study showing that “independent” voter affiliation has never been higher, reaching a similar mark in 1992 at the height of the Ross Perot movement.
What does this mean?
Well, aside from the easy “both parties suck” conclusion, we think it means that there is a huge market out there for a party that represents a fiscally conservative, socially libertarian perspective.
Seriously, raise your hands if you support government staying out of your business and giving you more of your money back?
Nice … we’re seeing a lot of hands. Virtually, anyway.
Also, such a belief system doesn’t discriminate based on race, gender, religion, income level or any of the convenient stereotypes that both parties exploit for political gain on a daily basis.
All that’s lacking here? That’s easy … a party apparatus that supports these simple principles and candidates who won’t abandon them once they’re elected.
Nearly half the country is just sitting there, people … waiting to be led.
Anyway, to view the Post poll, click here. To view the Pew poll results (complete with a nifty party label trend graph), click here.
UPDATE: What’s with the picture of the chick, you ask? Duh … it’s Kelly “Miss Independent” Clarkson, yo.
By Morons October 22, 2009 at 5:14 pm
This was Kelly Clarkson before the cheeseburgers
By Ronbo October 22, 2009 at 8:16 pm
The fact that so many voters don’t identify with a party tells you they want to identify with a party that’s, conveniently, matching up to your POV? Okay, that’s a nice little fantasy.
Maybe many of these voters are apolitical, or for other reasons aren’t going to identify with a party. Any party. Maybe their views are not homogeneous and they are actually quite diverse, so your neat little “fiscally conservative, socially libertarian” construct won’t fit (you think the greens will fit that? just to pick one group).
WaPo published a lengthy analysis of independent voters back in 2007, and they don’t all just happen to fit your conservative-libertarian label.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/30/AR2007063000859.html
Money quote:
“The survey data established five categories of independents: closet partisans on the left and right; ticket-splitters in the middle; those disillusioned with the system but still active politically; ideological straddlers whose positions on issues draw from both left and right; and a final group whose members are mostly disengaged from politics.”
Doesn’t sound like a ready-made market for your Goldwater Republican-lite vision to me.
By Mike October 23, 2009 at 4:30 am
Easy, but true. Both parties suck.
By Brandon October 23, 2009 at 3:13 pm
There is a way to get them both back on the straight and narrow.
Repeat after me…
TERM LIMITS…TERM LIMITS…TERM LIMITS…
By chris October 24, 2009 at 2:14 am
Great picture of Miss Independent. Love Kelly Clarkson!
There is no perfect party, but I will stick with the Democrats.